In radio receivers, an incoming radio frequency (RF) signal is received, typically by an antenna. The signal is then processed in a signal processing path of the receiver. General receive operations include amplification, filtering, downconversion, and digitization, resulting in a digitized signal that can then be digitally processed, such as demodulation for a particular modulation technique.
Many receivers include multiple amplifiers or other gain components. At least some of these gain components may be controlled. While many gain control techniques are known, such techniques can suffer from various impairments, including complexity and processing difficulties. One reason for difficulty in certain techniques is reliance on received signal strength indicator (RSSI) information, which is only available after digital processing of the signal, which in turn may lead to delays in updating the gain components, which can adversely impact receiver operation.